Unwritten Rules
"Just five decades ago, most black Americans could not work, live, shop, eat, seek
entertainment or travel as they chose (Jaynes and Williams 3)." This statement reflects the plight of African Americans during the time period described in " Incident" by Countee Cullen and "Telephone Conversation" by Wole Soyinka. These two poems show how black people were treated during a particular era in American history. In these two poems one can see how black people were segregated, excluded, and intimidated by the white majority during a particular time period. In both of these poems one can see all of the prejudices faced by black people and the struggle of white people to stay separated from black ...
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black Americans were made to feel as if they were subordinate to the majority. Cullen and Soyinka both reveal how black people were put down during this time period.
In this time period during which "Incidents and Telephone Conversation" occur, segregation of black people and white people was the social norm. In the majority of public places black and white people were forced to use separate facilities, among other things. Segregation was common in restaurants, schools, and businesses. "Segregation was the rule in public accommodations, health care, housing, schooling, work, the legal system, and interpersonal relations (Jaynes and Williams 58). In "Incident", a white child sticks his tongue out at a black child reflecting his feelings that he should not have to socialize with a black child. By this child's behavior, one can see how the ideas of this era were ingrained into society. Even a young child felt he should not socialize with a black child. This child felt that ...
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for a black child, the white child is excluding the black child from social interaction. " And so I smile, but he poked out/ His tongue, and called me,'Nigger.''' By his actions, the white child demonstrates his preference to only socialize with other white people and to exclude black people from his social circle. "Telephone Conversation" portrays a woman who would like to exclude "very dark" people from renting her property. This woman grew up in a time period where it was legal and ethical to discriminate against blacks. The African American trying to rent the property faced being excluded from any property whose owner does not wish to rent to African Americans. In the time period of ...
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Unwritten Rules. (2008, September 19). Retrieved December 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Unwritten-Rules/90126
"Unwritten Rules." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 19 Sep. 2008. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Unwritten-Rules/90126>
"Unwritten Rules." Essayworld.com. September 19, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Unwritten-Rules/90126.
"Unwritten Rules." Essayworld.com. September 19, 2008. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Unwritten-Rules/90126.
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